Car construction



Sept. 2 1930. CAMPBELL 1,774,870

I CAB CONSTRUCTION Sheets-Shoat Filed May 2-, 1925 A Fns CAMPBELL Sept. 2, 1930; A. CAMPBELL CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed May 2, 1925 2 Sheets-Shu Patented Sept. 2, 1930 i UNITED stares PATENT orrlcs v,

ARGYLE CAMPBELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, 'assro von TO imm nse RAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, or omoaeo, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS 3 CAR CONSTRUCTION Application filed May 2, 1925. Serial Ko. 27,861.

' This invention relates to improvements in 7 car Construction.

One object of the inventionis to provide a simple and comparatively inekpenslve construction for dump cars which will be light will function in such a manner that as the door is moved to closed position it will be automatically locked at each end thereof.

A further object of the invention is .to facilitate operation of doors which have swinging movement on axesextending transversely of a car, whereby an arrangement is provided permitting the same to be kicked or pushed to closed position from a point adjacent the side of the car.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more clearly and fully appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the specification, Fig. l'is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the so-called W-type hopper car taken transversely of the car, and showing in front elevation my improved construction in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the door proper shown in Fig.- 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of that portion of the car shown in Fig. 1, showing my invention in connection therewith. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken through the door on a.

line corresponding substantially to aline 4- 1 of Fig. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the car, showing the inner end wall of the hopper. with the locking means in engaged position. said view being taken on line 55 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a broken horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale. taken through the hopper side wall. substantially on the line (3(3 of Fig.

In said drawings 10 denotes one of the side walls ofthe car. 11 one of the side stakes, 12 a longitudinally extending reinforcing angle forthe side wall of the car. 13-43 channels employed to make up a girder centersill of well known form, l t the centersill drawings forming a part of this cover plate, and lfiasurmounting ridge for" the centersill. As customary in the W-type' of car, the surmounting ridge 15 divides the car longitudinally, and a transversely extending ridge, the lower part of which .isshown in Fig. 3, divides the car transversely, there:

by forming four hoppers, two on each side of the center sill, arranged .in pairs transversely of the car, and since the construction of all of the hopper sections is similar, only one of the same will be hereinafter described in detail.

Each hopper is defined by a sloping bottom hopper sheet 17, a vertical inside hopper sheet 18, disposed adjacent the centersill, and an outer side hopper sheet 19, which slopes inwardly towards the longitudinal centerline of thecar. The lower margins of the sloping bottom hopper sheet 17 are reinforced by an angle iron member 117, which. is secured.

to and extends along the free edge ofthe sheet 17. The member 117 is further secured to the sheet 19 by a flanged 1ne1nber217 which is bent upwardly and secured in a suitable manner as shown in Fig. 3.

Each of the discharge openings provided by the hopper arrangement, is adapted to be closed by a sheet metal door indicated at 20, which is preferably flanged adjacent its hinged edge as indicated at 21, and at its side edges. as indicatedat 22, and is suitably rigidified at its free edge either by fianging or by securing thereto a reinforcing member such as that shown at 23. The door 20 is pivotally attached to the hopper structure by means of suitable hinge brackets 24r"24 secured to the lower portion of the transverse ridge 16, which, at this point, is rigidified by an angle member 25.

Adjacent the lower portions ofthe discharge opening of each hopper, I provide shouldered bracket members designated gen erally by the reference characters A and B, with which a pivoted oscilla-table locking bar (-i is adapted to co-operate to lock the door in closed position, in a manner which will be, more fully pointed out hereinafter. The bar C is adapted to be supported on a bracket 26 fixedly sec'uredto the door, said bracket preferably consisting of a casting having a base.

I w n V and lading will be transmitted to the bar adjacent the bracket members A and B, short beams of preferably Z-shape being provided, as indicated at 31 and 32, adjacent the side edges of the door to properly brace the structure at these points and provide means against which the ends of the bar C bear.

The beams 31 and extend only for a lim ited distance towards the hinged edge of the door, but inasmuch as the side flanges 22 of the door extend throughout the length of the door, and the hinge straps 33-33, disposed a short distance away, extend side by side with the beams 31. and 32, there is a continuity of reinforcement,which is furthercoordinated by means of a corrugation 34 extending adjacent to, and in parallelism with the hinged edge of the door, and which is extended across the plane of the hinge straps 3333, which also constitute reinforcing beams.

The bar C is adapted to move on the door in guides 35 and 36, the inner of said guides being carried by the beam member 31, and the outer guide 36 is secured at its lower portion by means of rivets 3737 passing through one flange of the angle member 23 and at its upper portion to the door plate by a rivet 37 being spaced from the door plate by a ferrule 38. A locking cam 39 is pivotally mounted between the door plate and the outer wall of the guide 36, said cam 39 being adapted to be swung into engagement with the locking bar C, to lock the same in closed position.

In order to insure automatic locking action of the door when it is moved to closed position, one end of the bar C is heavier than the other, and such variation in'the bar is preferably efl'ected by making the bar on one'side of the pivotal connection of greater lengththan the other, said longer side bein preferably the outer end or operating en of the bar which is adjacent the side wall of the car. The variation in the length of the arms insures the bar gravitating to a normal lock ing position, and stops are provided by the portions 40 and 41 of the guides 35 and 36 of said bar.

The brackets A and B are provided for co-operation with the bar C, the member A being preferably of hook-shaped construction and rigidly secured to the inner side wall of the car by means of rivets 42 and said memher is provided with a ledge or shoulder 43,

bar C is adapted to engage, said shoulder stantially parallel with the plane of the door when closed, and near its outer edge said member is flared as indicated at 44. Beyond the flared portion 44, the member A is formed with an extension which is tapered as indicated at 45. As most clearly seen in Fig. 6, the lower margin of the inner side sheet 18 is deflected inwardly to form an abutting surface for the door. The bracket member A is preferably formed to engage the inwardly directed portion of the side sheet as indicated at- 46 and is riveted to such inwardly deflected portion by two of the rivets 42. The outer bracket B is secured to the outerwall 19 of the car, and a portion thereof overlaps the flange of the member 217 as shown most clearly in' Fig. Said member 13 is formed somewhat similarly to the member A and is provided with a shoulder 47 forming a recess for the reception of the bar C, such shoul- .der being disposed in a direction opposite to the shoulder 43. Formed on the member B is an outstanding ledge 48, which constitute's an abutment upon which an operator may secure sufiicient leverage to force the bar C upwardly by placing the end of a tool such as shown at 148 thereagainst, and applying upward pressure thereon.

When the door is in locked position as inclicated in Fig. 1 the bar C rests behind the shoulders 43 and 47 of the brackets A and B, and the load on the door is transmitted thereto through the medium of the beam members 31 and 32, the load being thereby trans mitted to the hinge beams 3333 by means of the door flanges and the corrugation 34.

In order to close the door the operator may stand at the side of the car and kick the door to closed position, or if so desired, he may push on the door from the side of the car and so move it to closed position, a bracket 49 being provided on the angle beam 23 to receive the abutting end of a pole which may be used for this purpose. As the door 'approaches closed position, the inner end of the bar 0 engages the tapered face 45 of the bracket member A, which serves to depress the inner end of the bar, and raise the outer end well above the hook-shaped member B. Continued movement of the door in a closing direction finally allows the bar to clear the tapered face 45 and engage the flared portion 44 of the bracket causing the same to automatically move to locked position, or, if necessary, the operator from a position at the side of the car, may bear down on the outer end of the bar and wedge the door to a fully closed position. It will thus be seen that the use of a longer arm on the outer end of the bar is particularly advantageous, as it enables the inner end of the door to be locked before the outer end and also afi'ords greater power to the operator in opening or closing the door. The flared portion 44 of the bracket A is such as to provide for engagement with the bar C while the door is still partially open, and before the outer end of the bar falls into engagement with the shoulside of the car,..there is. a tendency for that end of the door which is remote from the point of operation to lag behind the other end, and this tendency is overcome by locking the inner end of the door before the outer end, and also by the provision of the bracket indicated at 49. which enables the application of power to close the door midway of the ends of the door. For the proper functioning of mechanism as above described, it is also necessary that the door be suitably rigidified, and to this end the construction heretofore "described is provided, which braces and rigidities the door in'a simple and effective manner.

I have herein shown anddeseribed what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out the invention, but the same is merely illustrative, and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a dump car, the combination with means providing a hopper opening; of a door for closing said opening, said door being swingably mounted upon the car structure; fixed means on the car structure at each side of the hopper opening; and mechanism, including a continuous member, carried by the door, and adapted to engage with said fixed means, said mechanism being normally urged in one direction, and said fixed means being.

operable to displace said mechanism from normal position as the door is closed to induce said mechanism to automatically assume locking engagement with said fixed means.

2. In a dump car, the combination with means providing a hopper opening, and door means for closing said opening; locking ele ments mounted on one of said means in spaced relation, certain of said locking elements being disposed adjacent the side wall of the car, and other of said elements being disposed inwardly of said side wall; and locking elements on the other of said means, said locking elements being arranged to initially engage the inwardly disposed locking elements on said other means to lock the door when closed, continued movement of said locking elements causing the same to engage the outer ofsaid locking elements.

3.111 a dump car, the combination with means providing a ho per opening, and door means for closing sai opening; locking elements on one of said means, certain of said locking elements being disposed adjacent the side wall of the car, and other of said elements being disposed inwardly of said side wall; and locking elements pivotally mountcdon the other of said means, and arranged to provide an inner arm of less length than the outer arm, said innerfarm being adapted to engage said inwardly disposed locking elements, and" said outer arm being adapted to engage the locking elements adjacent theside wall of the car. 4. In a dump car, the combination with dumping door extending on an axis disposed transversely of the car; of means for operating the door from the side of the car, said means including: shouldered members on the car structure, one of said members being disposed adjacent the side of the car, and the other of said members being disposed inwardly of the car side; a bar pivotally mounted on the door co-operable with the shouldered members to lock the door in closed position, said bar being pivotally mounted intermediate its ends to present arms of various length, the longer of said arms being disposed adjacent the side of the car, and being arranged to be engaged to move the bar to locked position. v

, 5. In a door arrangement for-railway cars, the combination with a center sill; of hoppers on either side thereof, each of said hoppers including: an inner side wall adjacent the center sill and an outer side wall adjacent the sides of the car, a door extending transversely of the car adapted to extend between said inner and outer walls; bracketmembers respectively secured to said inner and outer walls, a bar pivotally mounted on the door and adapted to swing in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said door, said bar being adapted to engage with the aforesaid brackets to maintain the door in closed position and being normally disposed in locking position with respect to said door; and means carried I by the inner walls of the related hopper and ried by the door, said mechanism being adapted to automatically assume a locking position with respect to the door; a bracket member carried by thecar adjacent the center sill of the car and a bracket member carried by the mechanism on the door to maintain said door in locked position, the member disposed adjacent the center sill being adapted to displace the mechanism on the door from its nor mal locking position during the door closing operation, thereby permitting the locking mechanism to engage the bracket adjacent the center sill of'the car prior to its engagement with the bracket adjacent the side wall of the car.

7. In a car having a discharge opening and a pivoted door, the combination with a bracket member carried by a fixed portion of the car. ad'acent the discharge opening and the free e go of the'door when the latter is in closed position; of a Z-shaped beam member secured to the door adj a centthe bracket member; a locking bar pivotally attached to the door inwardly of the beam member,.said bar being engageable with the beam member and 8. In a car door arrangement the combination with a door pivotally mounted on the car body; of bracket members on the car body adjacent the side edges of the door and adjacent the free edge thereof when the door is in closed position; a bar member pivotallv mounted on the door toswing in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the door, said member being adapted to co-operate with the brackets on the car to lock the door in closed position; and guides for said member disposed adjacent the ends thereof.

9. In a car having a discharge opening and a pivoted door, the combination with a bracket member adjacent each side edge of the door, each of said bracket members being mounted on a fixed portion of the car adjacent the free edge of the door when the latter is in closed position; of a locking bar pivotally attached to the door intermediate its ends and co-operable with the said bracket members to maintain the door in locked position; and guides for the bar disposed adjacent each end of said bar.

10. In a car door arrangement, the combination with a door pivotally mounted on the car body; of shouldered'members on the car body adjacent the side edges of the door and adjacent the free edge of the door when in closed position; an oscillatable bar mounted on the door, said bar being co-operable with the shouldered members on the car to lock the door in closed position; and guides adjacent each end of the bar within which the bar is position; an oscillatable bar mounted on the door,.. said bar being co-operable 1 with said shouldered members to lock the door in closed position; and guides adjacent each end of thebar within which the bar is adapted to move,

one of said guides having a locking element associated therewith for the purpose of locking the bat-against oscillation.

12.,In a car having a discharge opening and a pivoted door, the combination With a bracket member. adjacent each side edge of of said arms to maintain the door in locked position.

13. In a dump car, the cou'ibination with a dump door; of a side wall having an in wardly bent marginal portion adapted to extend over the door and form a ledge against which the door is adapted to abut; door supporting means secured to the side wall both above said inwardly bent portion and also to said inwardly bent portion; and .means on the door co-operablewith said door supporting means to hold the door in locked position.

lat. In a car having a dischargeopening, the combination with a. pivotally mounted door; of a beam extending adjacent the free edge of the door;a beam extending adjacent each side edge of the door and adjacent the respective ends of the first named beam; a supporting bracket secured to thesaid first named beam; an oscillatable bar pivotally mounted on said bracket, said bar projectin r beyond the edges of the door, and adapted to engage the beams at thc side edges'of the door; and means on the car adjacent each edge of the door. each being adapted to engage a projecting end of the bar.

15. In a 'car having a discharge opening and a pivoted door, the combination 'with a bracket member adjacent each side edge of the door, each of said bracket members being mounted on a fixed portion of the car-- and disposed adjacent the free edge of the door when the latter is in closed position; of a locking men'ibcr movably mounted on the door and having portions projecting beyond the side edges thereof for engagement with said brackets to maintain the door in locked position; and guides for the locking member disposed adjacent the respective ends thereof.

16. In a car having a discharge opening. the combination with a pivotully mounted sheet metal door having the vside edges thereof flanged outwardly from the main plane of the door; of a locking member movably mounted on the door and having its end portions projecting laterally beyond said side flanges; guides within which the said member is adapted to move, said guides being so disposed as to space said movable member outwardly of the main plane of the door and clear of said flanges; and shouldered brackets on the car cooperable with the projecting ends of the locking member, to maintain the door in closed position. a

17. In a car having a discharge opening and a pivoted door, the combination with a bracket member mounted on fixedportions. of the car, one at each side edge of the door; of a unitary locking bar adjustably mounted on the door and having its ends projecting laterally beyond the side edges thereof for cooperable engagement with said brackets, one of said brackets being provided with a fulcrum section adjacent the corresponding extended end of the bar when the latter is in locked sition, whereby a pry-01f tool may be emp oyed to disengage the bar from the g5 brackets,

18. In a car having a discharge opening and a pivoted door adapted to open under the influence of gravity, the combination with a beam element secured to the outer face 80 of the door and extending lengthwise of and adjacent the free edge thereof to approximately the side edges of the door; additional bracing elements secured to the outer face of the door and adjacent to and extending lengthwise of the respective side edges of the door; and means for locking the door in closed position, said means including a locking element movably mounted on the door and extended laterally over one of said 40 side bracing elements and a cooperable member secured to an adjacent fixed part of the car.

19. In a dump car, the combination with fixed metal sheets forming a discharge opening for the car, portions of said sheets being inwardly ofiset adjacent the margin to thereby form a shoulder andseat for the reception of the corresponding adjacent portions of a door; a pivoted dooradapted to close said opening and adapted to be seated in said seat; and means for locking said door in closed position. 4 In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 29th day of April, 1925.

ARGYLE CAMPBELL. 

